Monday, June 24, 2013

[ This is an interview of Indrani Raimedhi madam (IRM), taken by Sanhita Baruah (SB) and Abhinav Bhattacharyya (AB) published in the 2012-13 issue of AECIAN, the annual magazine of Assam Engineering College.]

Indrani Raimedhi is a well-known journalist, columnist
and writer. She is an Assistant Editor features in The Assam Tribune, a premier
English newspaper of the North East region. Author of eight books, she has been
the resource person in IGNOU's phone in radio programme on creative writing.
Her books have been selected for purchase by the Raja Ram Mohan Roy Library
Foundation and the US Library of Congress. In 2004 she was awarded the
Kunjabala Devi Award for Investigative Journalism on women's issues. Her fortnightly
column ‘The Third Eye’ appears in The Assam Tribune, and has enjoyed great
popularity.

SB: Madam, we know that your journey in writing
started pretty early and you have been writing since your school days. When was
it that you realised that you wanted to opt for a career in journalism?

IRM: Actually, I
was not aware that a career in journalism was possible. Interestingly, before
even getting enrolled in school, my father enrolled me in the State Central
Library of Shillong, where I spent the early years of my life. When I got my
library card, I came across the book ‘Around the World with Sally Baxter’ in
which the narrator goes to and reports from places all over the world. This
idea impressed me a lot and that is when I was convinced that I wanted to
pursue journalism. Since I was a
voracious reader from my childhood, I have always had a desire to write. I also
realised in that tender age that if I become only a writer, it will require me
to be detached from the rest of the world, whereas journalism could be a
connecting link between a writer and the world.

AB: Indeed, it is. Talking about being a writer, when
did your career in writing actually begin?

IRM: Since my
college days, I have been contributing articles to The Sentinel and The Assam
Tribune. Along with the fact that I was getting my pocket money from writing,
it was a source of great satisfaction that my articles went through the hands
of someone as reputed as Dhiren Bezbaruah Sir with minimum corrections to be
published. I started with being in the lowest position, i.e., sub-editor cum
trainee and it has been a learning process ever since.

SB: During the early stages of your career, did you
face any difficulty or discrimination because of being a woman?

IRM: Not
anything that I can think of, particularly. Actually more than being a woman,
it was because I was very young when I joined the industry that I faced certain
difficulties. It did discourage me at times and I had to work harder. But I gradually
made them realize that I was actually serious about my work. It is a myth that
a woman has to prove her worth. Downplaying your gender you can actually work
hard to become a better you.

A woman has to
manage both her personal life and work life in parallel in order to be happy.
It will be disturbing if I neglect my children while pursuing my professional
aims. But if I devote all my time to my family a time will come when I will regret
that I did not utilize my full potential. Being a career woman, you have to
prioritize, give up something to get something and I am not embittered about
it. But what I didn’t give up on was books.

AB: Well, that is my idea of success when one can
excel in one’s career and yet give time to their family. Is this the same for
you?

IRM: Actually, success is self-containment. Fame
comes with a territory. Try to express and explore your potential. Success is
not arriving at a place but travelling happily.

SB: If I’m not wrong your first anthology of short
stories came in 1986. How difficult was it to get your first work published?

IRM:
Surprisingly it was not much difficult. The germ of the collection came from my
association with IGNOU. I was a young mother at that period of time and was not
working. I was amazed that IGNOU was providing a correspondence course in creative
writing. I took enrolment for the same in addition to Mass Communication. I was
appreciated by the examiners on the short stories I submitted. Regarding
publishing, I approached Modern Book Depot and they were willing to publish it.

AB: Madam,
among the large number of books that you have read, do you happen to have any
favourite author?

IRM: It will be unfair
if I take the name of only one writer. I like the writings of different authors
and for different reasons at different times. Having said that, I must say John
Cheever, an American novelist is a gem of writer.

SB: Madam, how
do you think the electronic media has affected the print media?

IRM: Effect of any piece of work is transitory in
electronic media whereas print media helps you to absorb it in your own leisure
and go deeper into it. The news in e-media is forgotten easily when a fresher
news comes and takes its place. Moreover, there is a struggle for the news to
reach a wide number of people. Students of journalism should try both the media
to find what suits them best. It’s good when both the media goes hand in hand.

AB: Do you see a day when the print version of The
Assam Tribune gets completely converted to its e-version?

IRM: One day I
do see it coming as this has happened to some other magazines as well.

SB: Having worked in the field of journalism for more
than fifteen years, what changes have you noticed in this field during this
period?

IRM:There has been a tremendous change in
the technology behind journalism in the past few decades. When I joined this
field way back in 1989, we had the PTA system instead of the currently used DTP
process. In the PTA system, as you might know, it had boxes in which the
bromide paper was washed and hung up and sometimes each individual letter had
to be corrected in the case of a mistake. So, it was a very complicated,
time-consuming and painstaking affair at that time. Secondly, we had no access
to the internet at the time which meant that the images could not be downloaded
by a single click as is done today. Moreover, because of limited internet
access the research and origin of certain terms was more difficult and the
confirming the veracity of figures was very subjective, to put it plainly. So
life as a journalist has become much easier today than it was two decades back;
thanks to technology. But at the same time, I feel that the journalists today
have become intellectually lazy, what with everything available at their
fingertips.

AB: While we are on the topic of technology in media,
how do you think technology has changed the field of literature and journalism?

IRM: I think it
has changed much, though the basic definition of literature has not changed at
all. You see, someone might be reading a Harold Robbins or Hadley Chase in a
printed form in their hand, and somebody else might be reading Márquez or Kafka
in their electronic medium. So it is what you read that matters and not where
you read it from. I think the influence of technology in literature has, in
fact, made it more exciting and glamorous. Today you can even find videos of
Madonna reading verses from classic poems on YouTube and I can only see that
helping literature gain a wider audience.

SB: Ma’am, you must have had a lot of joyous moments
in the journey of your life. Could you please share a few?

IRM: (Thinks and smiles) If I have to point
out then I would say that my most joyous moments were my two sons being born.
And also one more was when my elder son got selected in IPS. I feel that joy is
not something that you wait for to happen but rather it is something that you
create. Little things in everyday life make your life joyous- like, I listen to
soft classical music while writing and that gives me great joy. I also derive
joy and happiness from reading- I am very fond of reading and I make it a point
to read at least something new every single day. So I feel life itself is a
very joyous experience if you count your blessings.

SB: And any bitter moments?

IRM: Not really.
There has been ups and downs, but nothing substantial to take my smile away (smiles again)

SB: True. I hope your smile always remains as it is.
Madam, you were also briefly a teacher at Don Bosco School, Panbazar. How was
that experience?

IRM: It was a
very good and satisfying experience, actually. I taught there only briefly, for
a few months. But in that short span of time, I was able to connect with the
young students which, I think, helped me in my writing career as well. I could
feel the pulse of those young boys and it helped me understand human behaviour
better. I should add that it was also challenging at times, to control those
young, restless boys some of whom were very naughty as well. Overall it was a
nice experience.

AB: You definitely are an inspiration to many aspiring
journalists who would like to follow your footsteps. What is your advice to
aspiring journalists and writers?

IRM: Thank you.
The first advice that I would like to give budding journalists and aspiring
writers is to be observant. One needs to be particular about details, sincere
in work and learn from people. Moreover, I would ask them to read voraciously
and across a wide spectrum. Read classic literature, non-fiction articles,
fiction pieces- just keep reading and you will grow as a writer too. I consider
literature to be similar to music, beautiful and having no boundaries. (Pauses) Lastly I will say that a writer
should believe that they can change the world with literature. This will give
them the necessary motivating drive to keep writing. They should not be afraid
to experiment with different forms of literature and be as versatile as
possible.

AB: Since you mentioned, I would like to know your
opinions on different forms of literature?

IRM: As I said
literature transcends all boundaries of time and geography and it holds true
for all forms of literature. When we talk about types of literature we have
fiction, non-fiction, biographies, short stories, poetry and so on. While in
non-fiction the source of research is internet or other sources, in the case of
fiction it is mostly experience. I think the difference comes more in the
technique of writing than anything else. In short stories, one comes directly
to the point and the impact is felt pretty soon. On the other hand, novels take
longer build to the characters up and are more of an acquired taste. There is
something called flash fiction too that interests me, which basically is a style
of writing having great brevity and it presents impactful writings in very
short lengths. Moreover, there is another form gaining much popularity among
youngsters nowadays known as the chick lit. I am not very fond of this form of
writing as I do not quite agree with the content of it; moreover I feel that it
has less lasting value and thrives on getting instant attention.

AB: Madam, what will be your advice to today’s
youngsters especially the students of Assam Engineering College?

IRM: One advice
that I like to give young people is live life fully. Work hard but do not be a
workaholic. I am alarmed by how some youngsters nowadays put their life on
permanent display on social networking sites. Life has become shallow and
exhibitionist to some extent. I shall advise the students of Assam Engineering
College to do their studies properly and chase their dreams.

SB, AB: Thank you Ma’am for your time. It was a
pleasure talking to you.

IRM: I also had
a good time conversing with you. Honestly speaking, I am impressed by the
quality of the questions you put forward. I did not expect such in depth
questions. I wish you all the best for everything ahead in life.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Once in a lifetime, LOVE enters stealthily through the backdoor of your home built with high walls, sits in your parlour for a while, so quietly that you don't discover its presence until it has made its home inside yours... and then it acquaints you with the paradise it brings..and you, like a little child with her new doll, spend your days and nights inebriating the contentment it gives.. and LOVE, like an old neighbour, like a sibling, becomes your habit...

But then it decides to leave, leaving you alone in your empty house like a feeble mother of a debauched son ..

and when it does, it never goes as stealthily as it came... it finds its way to the front door and walks out breaking the walls you had once built to protect the home which just collapsed..

Goodreads

I cannot, or rather will not judge a book that touches the strings of my heart and leaves me half-crying and half-contemplating about my own meaningless existence in this vast universe.

The kind of story that makes you want to question the laws of nature, that's heart-ending and beautiful and that makes you irrevocably fall in love with the story and the characters. And you all you want to do is pray for the characters who are left behind to leave a life of mourning and misery and that's when you realize it's just a work of fiction. But not really, because fictions are realities we don't think of, that are happening to people we know nothing about.